Modern vehicles include various LED lamps and lamp assemblies (e.g., puddle lamps) that do not require highly-specialized or otherwise regulated, output light patterns of other vehicular lighting elements, some of which require the production of a regulated light pattern (e.g., headlamps). These LED lamps and assemblies are more energy-efficient than earlier halogen and incandescent designs. Nevertheless, these LED lamps and assemblies can be limited by light intensity in view of power requirements, thermal management and vehicular weight considerations.
For example, vehicular lamps and lamp assemblies with high-powered LED light sources are often configured with heat sinks to dissipate and control heat generated from the LED sources. Control of heat generated by LED sources is important in preserving the long-life capability of these light sources, and also ensuring that the other lamp components (e.g., housing, lens, etc.) are not degraded by the heat generated from the LED sources. These heat sinks are usually fabricated from die-cast metals and alloys or extruded aluminum. As such, the heat sinks add to the overall size of the LED lamp and increase the weight of the LED lamps and assemblies.
Another issue with relying on heat sinks to dissipate heat in vehicular lamps and assemblies with LED sources is that the boards employed to mount the LED sources often reduce the effectiveness of the heat sink. In many cases, the boards employed to mount the LED sources do not effectively transmit heat via thermal conduction. Often the boards are fabricated from ceramic or polymeric materials with relatively low thermal conductivity values.
Accordingly, there is a need for light-emitting diode (LED) lamps and assemblies, particularly for vehicular applications, that can more effectively manage heat, while not significantly increasing packaging size, weight, cost and/or light production efficiency.